Peace. Quiet. Darkness. Nothing but calm.
Nevermind. There's something. A sensation near the legs? Noises? What is it?
Shuffling. Fabric moving. And something else.
Suzuki Satoru was slowly waking up.
He opened his eyes. The first rays of the autumn morning sun peeked out from behind the horizon, hampered by closed blinds, and in that moderate darkness, Satoru could make out the silhouette of a person sitting on the bed next to him. She was sobbing faintly.
Instantly as the realisation came, a jolt of urgency surged through his body like lightning, causing it to act almost on its own, embracing the woman and silently activating the magically controlled lamp on a nearby nightstand.
"Neia?! What's wrong? My love?"
His wife turned slowly to make eye contact, the sight of distressed tears in those magnificent eyes instilling within Satoru a profound worry every single time, now shifting his focus entirely to easing whatever troubled the most precious person in his life. Neia responded with quiet sobs occasionally interrupting her, despite her best efforts.
"S-sorry, darling... I... didn't mean to wake you up..."
"Oh, don't even think about that. Clearly something's wrong. Please, talk to me."
With some hesitation, Neia simply buried her head in Satoru's chest, rubbing against it gently as they hugged.
"... It was another one of those nightmares... I- I was out on the battlefield again, and the demi-humans were... e-eating people, and cutting them up and... and I tried to help, but couldn't do anything, and Custodio screamed at me for even trying, and everyone hated me and called me criminal-eyes, and... and you weren't there to help, s-so I had no one to turn to, and mom died again, and..."
Following a lengthy enough pause, Satoru interjected.
"Shhh... it's okay, my love. It's all in the past. I'm here now, honey. I'm here, and I'll never let anything like that happen to you again, okay? You're safe, now and forever. I'll always be here with you."
Satoru felt Neia nod, head still buried in his chest.
"... thank you, darling... I love you so much."
"I love you so much too. I'll always keep you close, alright?"
"... I'm sorry... I know I shouldn't be this upset over a nightmare..."
"It's okay. It's not your fault. You went through awful things. Don't apologise, dear."
... The spouses continued hugging for some time, until Neia gently pulled away.
"Thank you, Satoru. This one was particularly bad... Hahh, I hope meeting Gustav today won't be bad for me due to this."
"Do you want to postpone it? I believe this meeting wasn't too time-sensitive, right? I'm sure he'd understand."
"No, I shouldn't. I think I'll be fine with a bit more sleep and some time to relax beforehand... just try to think about nice things. Think about you. About our future together. About our baby."
"Well, if you're sure, can I help at all? Maybe I should start work later, to be here with you until the meeting starts."
"Oh, I don't want to inhibit state matters."
"Don't worry. A little delay won't hurt. It's just going to be one person I'm working with anyway. I'm sure she'll understand if I explain you weren't feeling well."
"W-well I would appreciate it. If it really isn't any trouble."
"Not at all, love."
Finally, an exhausted smile graced her face. The sight was as stunning as always despite the smile's weakness, prompting Satoru to return it.
"May I have a kiss, darling?"
"Of course."
... …
Suzuki Satoru now sat in his office on the 9th of Nazarick with only today's maid to accompany him, looking over some of the stray reports and missives which made their way onto his table. There was also the large stack of documents related to what would be today's big decision, but Satoru was waiting to discuss all of that with someone who actually knew what they were doing when it came to politics.
His reading was then interrupted by a knock.
"Lord Ainz?"
It was the person he was expecting. Albedo.
"Come in."
The succubus entered gracefully, wearing a cheerful smile as she neared Satoru's desk, and the chair prepared in front of it.
"... Hello, Albedo. I apologise once again about the delay. Please, do take a seat."
"Thank you, Lord Ainz."
Satoru could hear that there was now a tinge of hesitation in Albedo's voice, one that only strengthened once she seated herself and spoke again.
"May I ask a personal question before we start, Lord Ainz?"
"A personal question? I don't see why not, assuming it will not take too long to answer."
"In that case... I had given it a good deal of thought, and now, with today's delay due to your wife's mood... I suppose I wanted to hear it one more time, directly from you, Lord Ainz, since I was not there when you announced it to everyone at once. You truly love Neia Baraja... and very deeply, correct?"
Satoru raised an internal eyebrow with some level of worry. Shouldn't have this been resolved by now? Albedo shouldn't be in love with him anymore, right? What motivated the succubus to ask, and in such an uneasy manner?
"Yes, I do love Neia Baraja. Honestly and profoundly so. She makes me happy."
The succubus looked away and put a hand to her chin for a moment.
"And may I ask how you see that woman in terms of standing?"
"Standing? What do you mean?"
"My apologies. I meant as in... do you see her as lesser? A subordinate? A precious pet of sorts?"
Satoru clenched his fists, and had to resist getting outwardly furious. Albedo most likely meant nothing bad by that question, so it was probably best to let it go. Still, a bit of that anger found its way into the undead king's tone.
Neia was the love of his life, and his equal. No one, including Satoru or even Neia herself, should be allowed to claim otherwise.
"Not in the slightest. She is my beloved wife, and an equal. Any insinuation of the contrary I will treat as a grave disrespect to her honour, something I intend to punish harshly and without exceptions."
Albedo bowed, tone turning serious and matter-of-fact.
"I assure you I meant to imply nothing of the sort, Lord Ainz, merely to ask. My deepest apologies for misspeaking in such a careless manner. I am prepared for any punishment."
"It is fine. Now that you know, I won't tolerate this line of questioning again."
"Of course."
Albedo resumed a neutral stance and closed her eyes, silent and unmoving for some time, leaving Satoru to wonder what she might've been thinking about.
"I see. Thank you for humouring me. That is all I wanted to inquire about."
"Why did you wish to ask about these things in the first place?"
"I suppose... Perhaps I need to do some thinking about the potential of this world's outsiders."
"Yes, perhaps you do. As do many others within Nazarick."
"Then, is it time to start work proper?"
"Yes. Now, these documents should be about the quickly developing situation in the east, correct?"
"Correct, Lord Ainz. We predict that a relatively new country might expand its territory until it shares a border with the Minotaur Nation, probably sometime within the next decade. The catfolk empire."
"Hm? That country?"
Satoru searched the depths of his memory, and found very little. Wasn't it some sort of collection of tribes? It was hard to remember, since he did not recall it being considered important even in the reports dedicated to it.
"Yes, they are still expanding rapidly by conquest, despite all our predictions, and it is even possible they will become an open enemy of the Minotaur Nation due to the high aggression they consistently show towards their neighbours. With this, we could further exploit the paranoia we've been cultivating in the minotaurs following the attack you led. This is of course assuming the catfolk will be open to cooperation. But even if they aren't, this will end up being beneficial to us."
"I see… Cooperation with a country so far away… Hm. Let's hear the details, then."
... ...
In Neia's mansion, several hours after Satoru had left, the mistress of the house engaged in calm, productive discussion with a friend and valuable cooperator.
"... and your Vice-Captain?"
"Still in Kalinsha, returning in a week. From the letters he'd sent, it seems all business has been handled, and smoothly at that."
"Hm, I see. Then, is that it?"
"Yes, Your Holiness. I believe so. At least from my side, I had no other concerns."
The two were discussing the state of the paladin order. In many ways, it has gone unchanged for a long time. They still trained in the same old ways, learning the same techniques, obeying the same hierarchy, kept the peace, all while wearing the colours and symbols of a now bygone kingdom. But such things were necessary.
The order was exalted, paladins being paragons of everything right with the Holy Kingdom and its people, all while defending them from the death lurking outside the wall. Their full support was instrumental in swaying the common folk's faith so quickly and efficiently. Of course, this meant acting as loyal enforcers of Neia's, and by extension Satoru's will, a foreign nation's force in all but name and public perception.
And today, Neia wanted to discuss and plan the paladins' future with Gustav. As the one true faith became more and more decisively dominant in Roble, the paladin order at its current state would start to slowly become obsolete in the following decades. Both of the people now present wished to prevent this, and so the earliest foundations of something new were being laid.
But right at this moment, after hours of discussion and planning so far ahead, deep into uncertainties, the two were simply a bit exhausted, happy to finally give their minds some rest. After a minute or so of silence, Neia thought it appropriate to initiate some small talk.
"So, business aside, I hope you've been well, Gustav."
"I have, Your Holiness. Very much so. There's nothing to complain about when it comes to my career, really."
"Hm, but what about your personal life? If you don't mind me asking, that is. I don't mean to pry, of course."
"Oh, I'm fine talking about that. Just that it's a little... Well, I must admit that outside of work, I don't really live an exciting life at all. I drink with my colleagues, practise martial arts, travel around Roble to see new sights... I've nothing special when it comes to hobbies."
Neia put a finger to her chin.
"And what about romance? Have you been pursuing anyone?"
"Well... meh, not really. Though I suppose there is a certain someone I considered approaching..."
The High Priestess immediately perked up, eager to squeeze out as many exciting, romantic details as possible. Neia had a thousand questions she couldn't wait to ask, but knew patience was the key, forcing herself to only ask one for now.
"Ah, is that so? May I ask who?"
"I uhm, well I don't actually know her name, but... There is this really cute squire I see around all the time. I suppose our schedules are a bit similar. She has really nice red hair cut to shoulder length, bright blue eyes, and a tasteful streak of freckles running from cheek to cheek."
"Ohhh... Tell me Gustav, for how long now have you had a thing for squires?"
Neia's vaguely accusatory tone twisted the paladin's expression into one of horror, and the intensity and speed at which it did so made her burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! I jest, I jest."
Gustav's following relief appeared equally melodramatic, as if he had been spared the worst of fates. This of course only fed Neia's amusement further.
"Your Holiness... Please, don't joke like that."
"I'm sorry Gustav, you're just too fun to tease."
The tone of Neia's response was genuinely apologetic, yet still bore a tinge of playfulness. Still, she understood her friend's fear perfectly well. The accusation that he'd openly lusted after her, regardless of its truthfulness, must have seemed like a direct path to not only earning the scorn of all he knew, but also the Sorcerer King himself, which would in turn lead to a most gruesome fate.
Not that Neia would ever make such an accusation untruthfully, of course. Regardless, such jokes could not be made in front of anyone else. She never wanted to risk starting unsavoury rumours about Gustav, not after everything he'd done for her.
After a moment of silence had passed, the paladin spoke first.
"No, I suppose that really was funny... Though if I do end up approaching her, I'll definitely have to keep in mind the most valuable lesson you have taught me."
"Huh? What lesson is that?"
"Never underestimate the unassuming squire girl..."
This time, their laughter was shared.
... ...
It was about an hour since Neia and Gustav said their goodbyes, their talk continuing on quite a bit longer than planned, simply due to the fun both were having. It definitely helped Neia get over that nightmare, and so she was quite thankful to the Captain. But currently, the High Priestess was just waiting in silence, magical clock in hand.
Until finally, a [Gate] appeared. And out of it, a familiar demon.
"Shizu! Hello!"
"... Hey."
As she got up to hug the maid, something else came into view. A large basket the contents of which could not be discerned, as they were covered by a cloth.
"Oh, what's that? A basket? What's in it? Anything important or fragile?"
As the disc of energy closed behind Shizu, she cleared her hands of the intriguing object by slowly setting it on the ground.
"... Hugs first."
"Of course!"
Neia practically crashed into Shizu, the strength of their bodies allowing this gesture of affection to go smoothly.
"How have you been? I hope everything's alright back at Nazarick, and with your sisters."
"... Yes. Everything's good... What about you?"
"In a life I share with my darling, every day is a wonderful blessing."
"... Good. Very good. You both make each other happy... This makes me happy."
"Aww..."
Faced with such an unusually sweet declaration, Neia could only squeeze tighter, wings flapping wildly for a moment. It took a decent bit of time until the friends finally pulled away.
"... But now it's gift time... Look. Lord Ainz already made sure it's nothing bad..."
Shizu slowly picked the basket back up, moving towards the table in the centre of the room, where she gently put it down again. The angel of course followed, curiosity bubbling up. Once in reach, Neia slowly pulled the cloth off the top, revealing several things; a series of strange glass spheres within which small flakes of something white moved and swirled continuously, several pieces of glass shapes entombing colours past a crust of solid transparency, a very fluffy-looking teddy bear of large size, and finally, a simple-looking box of dark wood, upon which lay a letter whose handwriting Neia recognised as fine calligraphy even at a distance thanks to her sharp sight.
The obvious thing to do was inspect the letter first, and so that's what she did. The first place Neia's gaze wandered to was the bottom, where a signature lay. This letter was from Albedo.
To Her Most Exalted Holiness, Neia Baraja:
I hope this letter finds you well, as does the rest of the offering.
I hereby intend to apologise for my rudeness during our initial one-on-one meeting. I have since been corrected on my behaviour, and recognise that my disrespect was grave and wholly unacceptable. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me.
Regardless, I must also apologise for the delay of this congratulations on not only having the honour of marrying His Majesty, but being allowed to bear his heir. I wish you only the best in your future together.
Truly, the knowledge that you have made such a happy couple is blissful.
sincerely, Albedo, Prime Minister of the Sorcerer Kingdom
A surprised Neia thought back to that meeting with the Prime Minister. It was a long time ago now when the two happened to encounter each other in the Roman Bath of Nazarick. Back then, she thought Albedo a rather reasonable, if brutally honest woman. All she really stated was the obvious, that an outsider walking the halls of Nazarick was a privilege eluding comparison, and that the people of the world were witless dullards to not immediately recognise the Sorcerer King's divinity.
But things have changed a great deal for Neia since then. Far beyond the honour of merely witnessing Nazarick, she was wife to its master and mother to its heir. The only puzzling thing now was the time it took for Albedo to send along such wishes.
Letting that mystery go for now, Neia set the letter down on the desk and reached for the present she found most intriguing, one of the many glass spheres with white flakes inside. Bringing it closer to her face, the details came into view, revealing the flakes to be representing snow, covering a miniature cabin and its surroundings as it fell, only for more to appear out of seemingly nowhere. Somewhat enthused by how cute the small object was, Neia brought it even closer, only to find that the level of detail was utterly mystifying, as she was able to peek into the cabin's interior through its fogged up windows, finding it extensively decorated with all sorts of clutter, even if it was exceedingly difficult to see.
"... Snow globe."
"Huh?"
Shizu's voice brought Neia back into the normal-sized world, at which point she found the maid pointing at the object.
"... That's called a snow globe."
"Ah, is it? Thank you."
Neia put the "snow globe" down on the table, and looked back into the basket. There were several others, all portraying somewhat different scenery, but mostly still cosy-looking homes. For now, she decided to reach for one of the other glass decorations.
This one was a sort of falling drop shape with a nice wooden stand. It was made of a shell of extremely pure glass of moderate thickness, within which another identical shape was contained, this time made up of diagonal spirals of all the colours of a rainbow, all exquisitely vibrant. Neia didn't really have an eye for art, but this was a rather nice little decoration. With a nod to herself, she put it down and reached for the next item, that teddy bear.
Immediately, the High Priestess noticed two things. The bear was not only even fluffier and more pleasant to the touch than it looked, but also somewhat warm. Neia squeezed, searching for a potential source of that heat within the plushie, but it seemed to just be a property of the object itself, not of something embedded within.
"... Cute bear. Want to hug."
"Oh, did you know it's also warm? I suppose it might be a nice thing to cuddle if I have to be alone some nights..."
If that was why, then the Prime Minister is very kind and thoughtful to have had this sort of idea. What a nice present…
"... Warm plushie… Whoa."
Neia put the teddy bear away on the sofa behind her, and reached for the final thing in the basket, that dark wooden box. Inside it, there were several beautiful pieces of jewellery, mostly earrings and bracelets. Once again, this was something Neia would need time to look over in detail, and so she put it on the table for now.
"That's everything, right?"
"... Yes."
Neia noted that she should definitely thank Albedo later. But for now, it was time to spend the rest of the day with Shizu.
... ... ... ...
Months later.
As winter was approaching its last third, a certain former salaryman could only describe himself as happy. Satoru's marriage to his beloved Neia continued on without any setbacks or issues as they awaited the birth of their child, and the once looming threat of Nazarick finding out his secret was long gone. Even if it was briefly replaced by something even worse, that too, was now all sorted out, the use of a wish well worth it.
His wonderful Neia was happy. His comrades' children were content. And the politics of this world sporadically disrupting things could not even make a dent in the overall peace within his heart.
For now, all was well. Would things be like this for eternity? Would there not be difficulties? Issues in his or Neia's personal lives? Heated disagreements between the two? Well, it would be strange if there weren't at least some examples of both over the years. But after everything they've been through only for their bond to come out of it stronger, Satoru did not feel any worry for their shared future. Only tranquillity in knowing even more beautiful things awaited.
And with that thought, Satoru closed his eyes, letting the fireplace's warmth soothe both himself, and the gorgeous young woman cuddling up to him under the blanket. With a smile, Satoru also chuckled to himself internally. How could he have ever found those cute, well-meaning eyes scary? Their journey together changed them both quite a lot…
And then, suddenly and forcefully, Neia ripped herself away, now staring down at her own body, something that of course startled him a good deal.
"N-Neia? What's wrong?"
"D-darling! I can feel our baby moving! Our baby's moving, Satoru! Come touch me and feel for yourself, hurry!"
With her wings flapping wildly, Neia started caressing that area and studying it with excitement. In the end, Satoru could only chuckle at the adorable display, and obey his beloved.
...
Hello! It's me, Lucy.
This is about where I would have ended the story if it wasn't for all the positivity regarding this work, and the encouragement to continue it. Thank you, everyone!
Also regarding that, I want to say that the past few chapters are probably a good taste of what that continuation is going to be like, as this will be sort of an entirely new phase for this fanfic. With the main sources of tension and drama in this story pretty much entirely resolved, cute fluff will be overwhelmingly the main focus from now on.
I'm not sure how far exactly I want to take their child in terms of them being their own character as they grow up, or for how long I'll continue writing this story, so let's just see where it takes me, I suppose. Due to the lack of a more detailed long-term plan right now, I might have to take breaks to figure things out. (oh, and also regarding the schedule - I'll be on vacation for a week, so you'll probably be getting another pretty late chapter... sorry TwT)
This whole story is sort of meant as a treat for my fellow Neia fans, so I also hope all of you guys are here and cheering for our cute pope. There really need to be more fanfics with her!
Either way, if you've made it this far, I want to thank you for reading. Seriously. It means a lot to me, and I just hope you enjoyed yourself.